


The One

by Loyce (Foehn_Gale)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Lemon, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:00:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29870205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foehn_Gale/pseuds/Loyce
Summary: Setting: Season 3 -The Southern Raiders; takes place after Zuko and Katara’s ‘talk’ with the captain of The Southern Raiders and before their trip to visit Yon Rha.Challenge words used: balk, dewWritten in August 2009
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	The One

The storm of emotions in her refused to ebb.

Katara paced the length of their camp, her hands clenched so that all the color faded from her knuckles. Her breathing was sharp, uneven, and occasionally she stomped her foot, a scream threatening to break free.

He hadn’t been the one.

Her hands released and found their way up to her temples. Her fingernails bit into her scalp, and with a grunt of frustration, she pulled them through her hair. The dark mass broke from its bounds and spilled around her, its weight covering her face.

He hadn’t been the one.

How much time had they wasted chasing the wrong man? The former captain of The Southern Raiders had been retired these last four years. Would Yon Rha still be in the village, or would he have moved on? Was he alive? Was he dead?

These questions plagued her and had refused to allow her to close her eyes and drift into sleep. She stopped her march and turned her face up toward the moon. Yue offered her no solace nor counsel. With a sigh, she collapsed into a heap next to the fire Zuko had started before begging off- leaving her alone.

He hadn’t been the one.

Still suspicious of him and his motives, she welcomed the silence that stayed behind after he was gone. True, he’d saved her life. And he’d agreed to come with her on this quest while everyone told her it was wrong. He had understood her to need to see this through.

For justice; for closure.

She watched the flames reach up into the air like they were trying to escape a captor. The heat of the fire was now too stifling, choking her. Katara tore at the black clothing, tugging it off so quickly it pulled across her skin. For a brief moment, she thought about tossing it into the fire but quickly put that thought aside, realizing she needed it for another day.

Instead of returning to staring at the fire, she closed her eyes and breathed. With each breath, the smell of the salty air grew thick and intoxicating. The sound of the waves crashing along the shore was like a siren’s song enticing her to come closer. There was no resisting their call. With the torrent raging inside of her, the ocean promised something to calm her, to soothe her.

Katara got to her feet and followed the pull of the water. Even if she didn’t know where the ocean’s end had been, the water would have steered her in the right direction. As she cleared a set of large rocks, her bare feet encountered the soft, cool sand. She dug her toes into it, reveling in the feel of it. The ocean’s water was dark, the silvery light of the moon reflected on the surface. It rippled and moved with the currents and, before she knew it, Katara was knee-deep in the surf. Waves rolled against her like a comforting embrace. She lifted her arms toward the sky and swayed. The ocean answered her, the undertow giving way to her commands.

As she lowered her hands, something broke through the surface of the water. She whipped around to see that she was no longer alone. The figure stood off to her left, in waist-deep water. The moon cast her pale light along the hard lines of his body. Black hair seemed darker now that it was wet. Droplets of water slowly slid down the bareback that was facing her. She watched one as it craved out a path, her irritation growing as it traveled lower on his back.

He dove beneath the surface again, disappearing for a moment. Katara could feel him move through the water, following him along the shoreline. Finally, he came up for air, again, with his back to her. He flexed, raising his hands to his face to brush back the matted hair, his face turned up toward the sky- with a smile.

How dare he!

How dare he look so comfortable and at ease in her element! How dare it welcome him without any hesitation?

An emotion the color of red flared inside her. Blinded by rage, the ocean reacted to her unspoken anger. The water pulled away from her calves, leaving her standing on dry land. The roar was deafening as the water raced back toward her. She was not prepared for the body that crashed into her and knocked her on her back. The water rushed over her, and when it cleared, her sputtering and coughing were echoed by another.

“What did you do that for?!”

His voice pierced through the red. Katara blinked, seeing Zuko come into focus not far from her. His eyes were narrowed, intent on her.

“What were you doing in my ocean?” She slapped the ocean water, sending another salty wave at him.

Zuko’s eye widened, and he gave her a quizzical look. “Your ocean?”

“Yes, my ocean.”

He balked at her response and wiped his face. “Last time I checked, this ocean belonged to all of us.”

“Meaning that the Fire Nation nearly owns the whole world…”

“Meaning that everyone is entitled to take a peaceful swim in the ocean whenever they see fit.” Zuko got to his feet and brushed at the wet sand that stuck to his body. “You’re infuriating to deal with.” He sent her a scathing look and started back up the path to their camp.

“I’m infuriating?” She called after him, scrambling to stand. His long stride had carried him farther ahead of her. “Need I remind you about the pirates, and the North Pole and the time your uncle got hurt or the caves under…”

Katara walked by him and went over to their fire. “See?” She waved her hands above the flames. She dropped her hand too close, and the fire brushed her skin. She pulled it back and stared at her hand, “No matter how hard I try, this fire will never heed me.”

He stopped at the edge of camp and turned toward her. He blew a puff of smoke into the air. “One has nothing to do with the other.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Just because I can’t get the water to follow any of my directions,” Zuko pursed his lips and paused, “doesn’t mean that I can’t find enjoyment in it once in a while.”

“It’s different.” Katara moved a damp strand of her hair from her face and gave a haughty sigh. “And how am I supposed to get ‘enjoyment’ out of the fire?”

His mouth opened, ready to answer her question with what she knew would be a barrage of answers. Her temper flared, and she raised a hand, causing him to falter. “Forget I asked.”

Katara shook her head and went to push past him. Zuko caught her wrist as she strode by. The awkward action of it caused her to twist weirdly, unnaturally wrenching her ankle. With a squeak, she pitched toward him, all of her momentum slamming her against him. She had hoped he’d stop her tumble, but Zuko was unprepared, and the ground broke their fall.

Her knees jarred the ground, and her palms smacked the dirt. She winced at the pain, which quickly subsided after she realized their position. Zuko lay on his back underneath her, her legs straddling his waist. Heat washed across her body wherever it made contact with his. She watched as the realization crossed his face, his eyes locking with hers. But neither of them drew a breath or moved.

She stared down at him, his golden eyes more enticing than the ocean had been. She leaned back a little, her hands releasing the hold on the grass next to his head. Her hands lingered, just a small space away from his cheeks, but she could already feel the warmth of his body. Her hands hesitated before they laid flat against his skin.

One of the cheeks was smooth to the touch, while the puckered skin from his scar felt different against her palm. It was the scar that intrigued her the most. She’d come so close to touching him – healing him – in the caves beneath Ba Sing Se. And now that she was feeling it for the first time, she knew she couldn’t heal it. It was a part of him. Her thumb moved over the scar under his eye, her own eyes never breaking contact with his. Zuko raised a hand and used its back to move some of the wet hair that clung to her face.

His hand turned over and cupped her face. She couldn’t stop the small sigh that escaped her lips as she leaned into his touch. His hand slid further back on her cheek, his fingers teasing the nape of her neck. It was the slightest pressure he used when he slowly coaxed her to lean down. Her lids grew heavy and slid closed in anticipation. His face grew closer to hers, his breath washing across her lips. She shuddered at the feeling, not the chill in the air or the heat his mouth produced.

There was a moment when everything seemed to move in slow motion. The waves stopped crashing against the sand, and the air grew heavy around them. The crickets had stopped singing their nightly song. She knew what was going through his head. It was the same thing that rushed through hers. All of the reasons for them to stop were there, but they grew clouded in the face of what he stirred inside of her.

After all the rage, frustration, and loneliness that had consumed her for these last few hours, all she wanted to do was feel- to feel something, something he could provide.

She wasn’t sure who moved first, but there was nothing else when his mouth pressed against hers. His lips were so soft, a complete contradiction to the hard words he sometimes spoke. They moved against hers, tentative at first before growing more confident. He caught her bottom lip in between his own, his hand moving deeper into her hair. His fingers gently massaged her scalp, and she moaned in response. She felt him smile under her lips before his tongue swept across them.

His taste overwhelmed her senses, and her hands fell away from his face. Zuko’s hands released her hold on her hair and slid down her back. She arched into his warm hands before they settled on the small of her back. He twisted, putting her on her back. The sudden change in positions caused her to gasp out in surprise. He took advantage of the move and deepened the kiss.

His kiss was no distraction to the heavy – and welcomed – the weight of him against her. His body nestled between her legs, in a position that was so intimate it both scared and excited her. She flexed her thighs, tightening them around him. Her hands encircled his neck, her fingertips playing with his long hair, as his kisses took her breath. His hand slid down her bare arm, across her hand, and found her hip. Zuko broke off their kiss, his teeth pulling at her bottom lip. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, long enough to see how dark his eyes were before he started trailing kisses from the corner of her mouth down to her neck.

“So sweet…” The tenor of his voice made her shiver.

He scraped his teeth the sensitive spot, and her fingers dug into his scalp as she moaned. The hand that had been caressing her hip drifted down her leg, kneading the muscle as it went. Unconsciously, she tipped her head back, giving Zuko easier access to the hollow of her neck. Her hands skimmed down his back as he sucked on the delicate skin, her short nails leaving marks in their wake.

Zuko pulled away from her, a groan emitting through his parted lips. His warm hand left her leg and hurriedly reached for the bindings that hid her from his view. He tugged at the knot a few times before she felt the material go slack around her. She helped him brush them aside, amazed at how the chilly night air felt against her body. Her hands reached out and splayed across his chest. She ran a finger along the contours of his muscles, and Zuko’s head fell back. She felt him shiver beneath her touch. His fingers skimmed along her rib cage before his large hands covered her breasts.

The sound that left her was neither a cry nor moan but a combination of both. Zuko dipped his head and licked the swell of her breast, and his heated breath tickled her stimulated body. Katara hissed at the new sensation, her fingers digging into his back with bruising pressure. One of his hands slid down her side, tracing circles across her stomach as his mouth turned attention back to her neck. The other hand cradled her head. The full weight of his warm body molded against her.

His mouth captured hers again, in a kiss that was both demanding and possessive. Katara returned the kiss with as much fervor as she could against the onslaught of her senses. Zuko shifted, and she drew in a sharp breath, feeling his arousal push hard against the junction of her thighs. His long fingers moved to caress the delicate skin along her inner thigh. The heat from his hand traveled up her thigh and across the bindings that stood as the only barrier left between them.

An unfamiliar feeling spread through her as she felt him pull the fabric away, exposing her completely to the night air- and his gaze. Zuko sat back, and his eyes examined every inch of her body, bringing a flush to her cheeks. He leaned back down, his mouth hovering just above her lips. Her breathing grew ragged as she felt his hand lay on her skin and then moved closer to her core. His hand cupped her, and he caught her cry of pleasure with his lips. She felt him trace her wet opening with the rough pad of one of his fingers. She bit his bottom lip out of surprise when his finger slowly slid inside of her. Zuko then slid another finger into her and curled them. Katara felt as if her world was falling apart around her. She couldn’t think, couldn’t even begin to process all of the sensations that he’d awoken with his intimate touch.

Her fingernails tore at the earth in the feeble hope to hold onto something. Zuko slowly ended the deep kiss and slid down her body, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses the lower he went. When his teeth scraped along the top of her mound, she took a long shuddering breath and held it- waiting to see what he’d do next.

Zuko tucked his arm under her knee and gently pulled her closer to his awaiting mouth. His heated breath brought every one of her nerve endings to life. She arched against him when he brought his mouth down on her center. His fingers continued to bring her body to a fevered pitch as he flicked his tongue across her core. His other hand scalded her hip, but not from the heat, but the feel of his touch.

Katara whimpered and moved with and against each one of Zuko’s tender administrations. Zuko groaned, and it sparked a fire deep inside of her that spread to every part of her body. Something had been building inside of her, and Katara wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle it anymore. Her hands released the clumps of grass and threaded into his hair. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to hold him there or pull him away. Their movements became less controlled, more instinctual.

With one last stroke of his fingers, one last flick of his tongue, Katara felt an explosion of sensations overtake her. The feeling came upon her so quickly that she cried out, the sound echoing in the night air. The world around her slowly drifted out of focus. A darkness that was more consuming than the night of a new moon contracted around her. And before she gave in to the incredible sensation and closed her eyes, she caught the sight of gold.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A grey sky greeted her as she slowly opened her eyes.

Rain threatened, but she needn’t be a Waterbender to know. The smell of it hung heavy in the air. Her hands brushed through the grass as she stretched, dew coating her fingers. The dampness caused the blanket to cling to her naked body.

Naked?

Katara bolted up and surveyed her surroundings. Only embers remained from the campfire, and a small bowl of rice sat next to her neatly folded clothing. She twisted around, looking for signs of Zuko, unable to find a trace that he had slept or even stayed within the confines of the camp.

She reached out and took the white bindings and quickly retied them around her upper body. The dark, long-sleeved shirt followed before she let the blanket pool around her waist. Another glance around assured her that Zuko was not near, and so she reached for the other set of bindings. She worked carefully under the shelter of the blanket, though she wondered why she should even bother. He’d seen all of her body last night; had explored it with his hands, his tongue. Heat rose into her cheeks as images from the previous night beset her. She shook her head and drew in a ragged breath. It took longer to get back into her clothes – a lot longer than Zuko had taken getting her out of them- but once dressed, she stood and turned toward the East.

She watched the dark figure as he moved closer. An uncomfortable silence flooded the camp ahead of his approach. Katara shifted her weight and crossed an arm in front of her. Her eyes observed every nuance of his movements, how his shoulders were slightly slumped down, his head down. Even how his hands clenched in and out of tight fists, she caught the moment he lifted his head and saw him hesitate.

She did not know what to do or say. Their eyes remained locked before Zuko ducked his head, allowing his long bangs to hide him from her view. She moved to close the distance between them.

"Zuko, I..."

He brushed right by her, his arm bumping into her shoulder. In the faint contact, she realized there was no heat radiating off his body. She whipped around and watched him throw his pack onto Appa's saddle.

She started again, "Zuko..."

"We're losing daylight." He kept his back to her as he spoke. "If we want to reach the village before dark, we need to get moving."

His words were sharp and, for some reason, put her on the defensive. Why did he not want to talk about what had happened between them? What was going to happen to them? Was he planning to forget it and move on? Was last night just a momentary diversion for him?

Well, it hadn't been for her. She wanted answers.

“You can’t just leave it like this..."

He held up his hand, cutting off the rest of her verbal assault. "We need to finish this, Katara."

She was not sure exactly what he meant by that statement, whether he was addressing what took place between them or the task at hand. But the fire behind her sprung back to life, causing her to take a step forward. Her eyes fell on his hands, clenched into shaking fists at his side. Stillness overcame them both, and minutes ticked by like hours. Finally, he turned and faced her. While his hands remained balled up, and every muscle in his body was taut, his eyes were soft.

There was too much spoken in that gaze. Things that would have to remain left unsaid between them. Katara closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.

Tears burned as she choked out the words, "Fine. We finish it."

She swung around and wiped at her damp eyes. They had a mission to complete. Katara bent next to her bedroll and started to fold it up. This side trip couldn’t drag out more than it already had. They needed to get back to the rest of the group. They had to prepare for the arrival of Sozin’s Comet.

As she tossed her remaining belongings into her knapsack, she could not help but wonder if maybe they had given up the one chance at being the one each other needed the most.


End file.
